Official Maria V. Snyder Blog

The official tour is on hiatus, but another rebel blog isn't afraid to post during this busy time of year.  Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks has posted a wonderful review about TOUCH OF POWER with no spoilers.  And sometime today (December 28th), she will also post an interview with me and a giveaway, which is open to international readers as well as in the US and Canada! Here's a link to the review: http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?p=11545 Here's a direct link to the interview/contest: http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?p=11927 As for my present wrapping adventures, since only Renee offered to help me wrap presents (thank you Renee!) provided I pay for her to fly from Europe (tempting, but too expensive), I had to find help from another source - my cat Valek (aka the Bug Assassin or Kitty Kat).  He took an avid interest in all things papery and ribbony and crinkly, but managed to do more harm that good and was soon exhausted by all the wrapping (as you can see i

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday!  The TOP Blog tour is on hiatus this week, but there's still a lot going on (rebel post tomorrow!).  My publisher put together a widget for TOUCH OF POWER.  Check it out - it's posted below and you can see the first 16 pages of the book (includes the first chapter).   I think I'm supposed to put it on my blog on the side, but I don't know how!  I'll either figure it out or have to call my friend for help.  Feel free to share it :) And since this is the time for all those after-holiday sales,  Harlequin is also having a special 9 day e-Book sale through it's website with 25% off certain titles on each day (you have to buy them THAT day for the discount).  I've looked through all the days and there are some really great fantasy, suspense, teen and romance titles listed.  Today is Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Take , and my OUTSIDE IN will be on sale on January 1st! Here's the link to the e-Book sale: http://www.e

News Flash!!  I'm finished with my holiday shopping!  Woo Hoo!!  Now all I need to do is wrap all these presents.  Anyone want to come over and help?  Anyone?  Anyone.....  Hello??? On tap for today is a post about my top 10 favorite fantasy series for the Official Blog Tour on My Bookish Ways and includes a giveaway. Here's the link:  http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/blog-tour-giveaway-maria-v-snyder-author-of-touch-of-power.html Another News Flash - the UK office has designed a website just for TOUCH OF POWER.  Now you can see that animated cover in all it's full-speed glory - yay!  Also there are extras you won't find anywhere else, and a contest to win a KINDLE!  The Kindle winner is limited to UK readers (I don't think it would work anywhere else), but there will be a UK blog tour with 18 blogs and I'm hoping they'll be open to international winners (It will depend on each blog). Here's the link:  http://www.touchofpowerbooks.com/ I&

Today is another post in the Official Blog Tour for TOUCH OF POWER.  Fantasy Book Critic is hosting my blog about how I choose the names for the book and the trouble I had.  And why in the published book, you won't find Vinn or Daneen. Here's the link: http://www.fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-tour-maria-v-snyder-on-trouble.html And Book Geeks Rule (great name!) has posted an interview, review and give away as part of the Rebel blogs :)  Here's the link: http://bookgeeksrule.blogspot.com/2011/12/touch-of-power-review-author-interview.html

Just wanted to let you know my guest blog is up at Lytherus.com - about how life is fodder for my stories.  And I wanted to add another "life is fodder" story.  When Kerrick calls his men gentlemen, as in, "Become one with nature, gentlemen. We'll meet at the rendezvous point."  I borrowed that from one of my son's soccer coaches (one of my favorites).  He always called the boys gentlemen - and as an ex-Marine, everyone on and off the field (and two miles away) heard him.  He was loud but he never yelled at them. Here's the link for the blog: http://lytherus.com/2011/12/19/touch-of-power-blog-tour-maria-v-snyder-talks-life-as-fodder/ And here's a link for a wonderful, fantastic review of TOUCH OF POWER: http://lytherus.com/2011/12/19/touch-of-power-is-filled-with-magic-and-mystery-maria-v-snyder-at-her-best/

More chances to win.  More interviews.  More blogs.  And the burning question....have I finished my holiday shopping?  Have I finished decorating my house?  Baking cookies?  Ah....no.  I still have time...right?  Right? Starting today, you can enter to win the Official Blog's Grand Prize of a $100 Spa Certificate!  You have four different ways to enter. You can "like" my Facebook page, you can comment about TOUCH OF POWER on Facebook, you can comment on your own Facebook page about why you find books have their own powers of healing, and you can follow my blog. Easy! Enter here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/contests.php   This just in - another Official Blog Tour is going on today - here's the link: http://lytherus.com I did find out that the official blog tour that is run by my publisher (they are providing the books) are limiting the winners to the US and Canada.  But there will be rebels offering to international - so make sure you check them out. Talking

And the tour continues!   Here's the Official blog tour link for Friday, December 16th on  I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read: h ttp://www.sithereandread.com/ And here's the Rebel post on Book Lovers - it's a review, but we're doing a giveaway on December 22nd - that's when my Advent post and contest is going up: http://www.bookloversinc.com/2011/12/15/arc-review-touch-of-power-by-maria-v-snyder/ Looks like the Official Blog Tour contests may be only for the US and Canada (I'll check).  However a number of the Rebel blogs will be offering them to international readers - and Read Now Sleep Later ( http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/ ) Alethea's blog is going to give away a copy to international readers only on January 1, 2012.  PLUS - the UK office is also hosting a blog tour in January 2012.

Today is the first in many blogs promoting my latest book, TOUCH OF POWER.  I'm thrilled that today's blogger is a friend of mine.  Alethea emailed me three years ago saying how much she enjoyed my books.  Since she worked at Borders, she was able to recommend my books to her customers.  She hand sold 400 copies of my books in the three months prior to the holidays!  Because of her efforts - when STORM GLASS was released, my publisher sent me out to California to attend her release party and sent me again last October.   We've became good friends over the last three years and I was so happy to chat with her yesterday about my new book. To listen to our chat go to her blog:  Read Now Sleep Later - http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/   REBEL BLOGS: Here's a link to a blog where I did an interview: http://rai29bookreadnreview.blogspot.com/2011/12/author-interview-maria-v-snyder.html And we're giving away a signed copy: http://rai29bookreadnreview.blogspot.com/2

This will be an almost daily post as I get more information :)   The start of the tour is now on Wednesday, December 14th, 2011.  You'll be able to enter to win the BIG PRIZE starting Monday, December 19th and we will anounce the winner on Monday, January 16th, 2012.  We'll be running that contest through my website's contest page (which I crashed last night - that's why the UK animated cover is no longer on my site - it ate up too much of my bandwidth). Here is the schedule of blogs: •Wednesday, December 14 – Read Now Sleep Later - http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/ •Friday, December 16 – I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read! -  http://www.sithereandread.com/   •Wednesday, December 21 – Fantasy Book Critic - http://www.fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/ •Friday, December 23 – My Bookish Ways - http://www.mybookishways.com/ •Monday, January 2 – Live to Read - http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/   •Wednesday, January 4 – Two Chicks on Books - http://twochickson

The Official TOUCH OF POWER Blog Tour starts Monday, December 12, 2011.  I don't know the time, but since I sleep until 11 am, I figured I'd better post this tonight.  (I write until 3 or 4 am, people! mornings and me never got along - but that's for another post). From the schedule I received - it looks like Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are the hot button days, with contests to win a signed copy of the book (some shipped in time for x-mas :)  We'll be taking Monday December 26th, and Friday the 30th off for the holidays.  But otherwise we'll be offering contests until Friday, January 13th, when we'll announce the winner for the BIG PRIZE - a $100 Spa Certificate to a place in your town. (details on this are coming!). Information for the tour is on Harlequin's Paranormal Blog - here's a link: http://paranormalromanceblog.com/ And one last thing - I'm also doing a bunch of Q&As and giveaways on other blogs - so stay tuned to this blo

My publisher in the UK was thrilled to learn the UK cover of TOUCH OF POWER won by a large margin - I'm afraid there will be no living with them when they get together with the other MIRA offices in the US and Australia ;> They are also super excited about TOUCH OF POWER's release in the UK and there will be lots going on for my UK readers - a blog tour in January and a special MIZZ magazine promotion with a very big prize (can't tell you yet). One of the things going on right now is a special Collectors Edition e-Book that is being offered right now on Amazon.co.uk - It includes POISON STUDY, STORM GLASS, and the first chapter of TOUCH OF POWER.  So if you have any friends who wanted to try my books, this is a great opportunity to put a toe in Maria V. Snyder waters  ;> Here's the link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maria-V-Snyder-Collectors-ebook/dp/B006FZ9EQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323338931&sr=8-1 Also I wanted to share a fab 5 star review from 

The TOUCH OF POWER cover art contest was another popular post with 160 votes and comments.  I read through them all and tallied the votes.  It should be no surprise that the UK version won with 102 votes!  Everyone thought the UK cover was eye catching and showed Avry as a powerful figure with the lightning coming out from her hands and her billowing cloak.  For those who haven't seen the animated edition of this cover - you can either see it here in my "What a Week" blog or go to my website: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/UK.php   (PS: I just updated my website). Second place goes to the USA cover with 32 votes.  Those who voted for it, thought it was pretty and looked like a fantasy novel, invoking a sense of mystery. Third place goes to the Australia/NZ cover with 26 votes.  The voters liked the colors - they seemed warming and enticing, invoking the healer aspect of the story. I found all the comments very interesting and thank everyone for voting!  Having visite

I sent out my email newsletter on Monday, combining two issues into one because I didn't have a ton of "writing" news.  Well, this week has been rather...eventful :) First - Zap2it posts an interview with Lachlan Buchanan, an Australian actor who is joining the Pretty Little Liars TV show cast this season.  Seems he is a big reader and he mentioned my books!  That was so cool to read - and if there is ever a movie of Poison Study , I'll be more than happy to return the favor. Here's a link to the post: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/11/meet-pretty-little-liars-newest-clue-lachlan-buchanan-talks-lucy-hale-books-and-more.html    Second - I think the UK office of my publisher is trying to sway the voting for the Touch of Power cover art  ;>  They just sent me an animated cover - you have to click on the box below (I see some people are having trouble bringing it up - I'm working on getting that fixed, so check back in a couple days):